Cultivating Your Inner Garden- Aerating the Soil
By Dr. Nikki Judge
You see the serious gardener every spring tilling the soil for their garden. Tilling the soil breaks it up, softens it so that roots can grow strong and create a good feeding system for the plant, allow for proper hydration of the plant, and create the best environment possible for the plants to grow strong and bountiful.
By tilling the soil the gardener ensures that the seeds or plants will have the best chance to take root and grow. We need to pay the same attention to the Garden of our Soul. Our soul inhabits our bodies… so it is important to take care of our bodies so that we can enjoy the benefits of our soul’s connection to it.
Exercise: You don’t have to run a marathon or climb Mount Everest! Exercise is important to all of us but you need not join a gym or buy fancy equipment. You can exercise in a relatively small space. Current indicators are that in order to maintain a healthy body we need to walk the equivalent of five miles a day. Five miles works out to be just about 10,000 steps for the average person. Whether you do chair exercises due to limited mobility or you are prepping to run a marathon or climb mountains exercise is key to helping connect our ethereal self with our outer self. Regular exercise helps to improve breathing and release endorphins. Many people use time exercising to look within, think about issues or problems, or plan fun times ahead.
Yoga: An ancient form combining exercise, breathing, and meditation to help create a clear mind and strong, healthy body to contain the soul. With traditions dating back to its roots over 5,000 years there are different types of Yoga but they all focus on the essential point of keeping the body, mind and spirit connected in a positive and health promoting way. Yoga’s ancient forms and movements were designed over millennia to help encourage a strong connection. Yoga itself is not a religion but a tradition passed down from teacher to student through practical demonstration. For those who chose to share their workout with others Yoga is a great consideration as you will be with others who are trying to raise their spiritual awareness and connection as well.
Dance: Dancing is a great way to exercise! Whether you perform the regulated steps of a Tango or indulge yourself in boogying down to your favorite song moving to the rhythm is an awesome way to connect. It is easy to lose yourself in the tempo of the music, thoughts floating on the music while your body sways and moves to the inner voice. When you lose yourself in that way you are in a meditative state… the repetitive movements help induce a deeper connection, the music seems to connect directly to the brain and you float on the music… another form of connecting to your inner self – your soul self.
Move! We are spiritual beings experiencing a human existence. By moving…walking, working out, swimming, playing, dancing, or practicing yoga – moving for us is essentially doing the same thing that tilling the soil does for the gardener. By knowing our bodies and keeping them healthy as possible through exercise of whatever type we are strengthening our connection to our inner self. You don’t have to climb mountains, swim the English Channel or spelunk down into the deepest of caves – unless you want to.
It only takes 30 days to instill a habit – good or bad. Start today! Whatever your shape – it’s the shape you are in…and only you can change that….for good or ill. Join a Tai Chi class, start a walking group or walk with others that you know. Take the time to get to know your body … get up and make it move! The healthier the outer body, the healthier and stronger your connection can be. Like the gardener wanting to prepare the soil so that the roots can grow deep and strong the spiritual gardener must “aerate” (exercise) their “soil” (body) to strengthen the connection with the soul.
Please join us next week where we discuss final preparations before it’s planting time for your Spiritual Garden of the Soul!